British hospital to pay Indian origin family for son's death

London, Aug 24 ( IANS) A hospital in Manchester has agreed to compensate the Indian origin family of a baby who died due to the negligence of its staff, a media report said Saturday.

As the mother, Geeta was administered double-strength epidural and could not feel anything below her waist, the baby was born between the sheets without the midwives realising this and was starved of oxygen. The baby suffered a catastrophic brain injury due to the delay and died six months later.

Midwives failed to regularly monitor Geeta and when they went to attach a foetal scalp electrode they pulled back the bed covers and discovered the was born, the Daily Mail said.

In a out of court settlement, the hospital authority agreed to a pay-out of an undisclosed sum after the father, Kamaljeet, waged a four-year court battle.

Geeta died in 2010 following the post birth complications of the couple's second child.

"We lost a much loved son under horrific circumstances and my wife died never knowing what happened or that anyone was sorry for our loss, " the Daily Mail quoted Kamaljeet as saying.

"We fought so hard and waited so long to receive an apology and an admission that more could have been done to save him. No amount of money could ever replace what we have lost but we are now finally in a position to move forward with our lives. We feel that in some small way justice has been done," he added.